How AM~Erica Celebrated Disneyland's Birthday

So anyway...

As I love to celebrate things, and love finding things to celebrate, sometimes there's events/holidays that just sneak up on me. Either I really did forget, I didn't realize it was a holiday, or I'm just learning about a celebration that I think we need to jump on the bandwagon with.

We had been on a whirlwind college visit tour for a few days, so we hadn't kept up on much else happening. As we got back into town, I started realizing a semi-celebration happening that I didn't even realize!

Teen Girl is our Disney geeky-guru. As much as we love Disney around here, she's our nerd.

Now, she's the one that flagged me down about LEIF ERICCSON DAY, so imagine my surprise when she wasn't bringing up this particular event.

When it comes to birthday's, anniversaries, people who follow her on Twitter, etc., Teen Girl will find a way to Disneybound (an outfit that is inspired by anything Disney-related) for whatever occasion it may be surrounding whichever movie/show/character. She'll even break into the soundtrack, if it's called for.

Yesterday, I started seeing some posts from people about Disneyland. Then I realized it was a celebration for Disneyland opening 60-years-ago! There was a birthday celebration going on for Disneyland! Awww!!

How? How did Teen Girl not share this information? So I asked her about it. She told me she thought it happened a couple days before that...when we were smack-dab in the middle of college visits for Teen Boy. I guess that's why she didn't say anything...but that's weird. Generally she would have anyway.

Anyhoo...

We had nothing at home! We hadn't been to the store since we were out of town. So, shortly after we rolled back into town, to the store we went!

My brain started going into high gear as to what to do in a pinch & on such short notice. So, after discussing it with my hubby & looking at Pinterest for ideas (as one does anymore), I planned an easy go-to for dinner that would fit the theme for Disney, plus I found a dessert I thought I could make that would be as fitting. (more on that in a moment)

Now, recently, I discovered that I had been dressing as Minnie Mouse off & on over the past few years. It was for one thing or another, but hadn't realized she was my go-to of choice until I came across some pics. I started chuckling at the fact. I had never really been as drawn to Minnie...or had I?

Here's what I've run into with my own flavor of some Disneybounding Minnie thru the recent past:

2008 - Disney Day at Cambridge Preschool, Chesterfield, MO

2014 - Halloween Hustle 5k, Lee's Summit, MO

2015 - Steampunk for the fun of it

Yep. There it was! So I decided to stick with her as a fun Disney go-to. I can obviously Disneybound her pretty well!

I mean, I have Disneybounded other characters, too.

2013 - Ursula for "The Little Mermaid" musical at Starlight Theater

2014 - Cheshire Cat for cub scout Halloween party

I think I do it more often than I realize. Not as much as Teen Girl, but often enough, nonetheless.

However, I felt it fitting to stick with Minnie for Disneyland's birthday. Amm-i-rite?

So I had this stuff to put on:

2015 - Disneybound Minnie Mouse for Disneyland's 60th birthday

Then, it was time for prepping the dessert - fake-out Dole Whips! Apparently enjoying a Dole Whip is a rite of passage when you go to Disneyland. I was unaware of this until...well...Pinterest. Of course. I've been to Disneyland, but I don't remember much. Here's what memories I have from Disneyland when I visited at the age of 4:

* I remember going thru the "It's a Small World" ride. Vaguely...but I do remember.

* I very vaguely remember seeing Cinderella in her light-up ball gown during the electric parade.

* I was told that I fell asleep in my mashed potatoes.

Obviously a Dole Whip was no where along that memory lane.

So it was researching a few copycat recipes & seeing what I could get. It needed set up time, so I had to do it early. And it was at this point that Teen Girl is trying to figure out what I was planning...

First, she asked what was for dinner. I gave her a few hints without giving away WHAT the meal was & what Disney flick it was attached to. Finally she worked her way down to pasta.

Me:  Yes. What kind of pasta?

TG:  Long noodles?

Me:  Yes. What would the long noodles be called?

TG:  Spaghetti?

Me:  Yes! With?

TG:  Umm...meatballs?

Me:  YES!! Do you know why?

TG:  *thinks hard*

Me:  What Disney thing would spaghetti & meatballs be tied to?

TG:  *light bulb*
         *GASP*
         *crumbles to floor in puddle of tears*

Me:  Uh...did you figure it out?

TG:  *WEEPS*

Me:  So, I guess you know then? What do you think it is?

TG:  *speechless weeping*

Me:  OK. *laughs* Just do charades, then.

TG:  *sits up & puts hands in front to appear like paws*

Me:  Yep! Lady & the Tramp!

TG:  *collecting herself a bit* So, are you making a dessert, too?

Me:  Yep. Any guesses?

TG:  *looking at ingredients laid out* Wait...are you making...DOLE WHIPS??

Me:  Good job! Yep...I sure am!

TG:  *crumbles to floor into puddle of continued weeping*


So the plan was to have spaghetti & meatballs for dinner, followed up with Dole Whips (or a version of)

I got the Dole Whip concoction ready to freeze so I could take a breather before starting dinner.

In the meantime, Teen Girl had decided to Disneybound as Lady. Fitting. Amm-i-rite? And she shared that one month after Disneyland opened it's doors, "Lady & the Tramp" opened in theaters! So there you go! We got some Disney trivia from our Disney geeky-guru that tied in beautifully to our dinner! BOOM!
But then she changed her mind & changed to The Tramp for her Disneybounding. No pics of her take on Lady, but here she is inspired by Tramp:

2015 - Tramp Disneybound for Disneyland's 60th birthday

So we enjoyed our dinner of spaghetti & meatballs:

(Sadly, we did not have "Bella Notte" playing in the background)

However, my hubby & I had the same idea:
We would reenact the famous spaghetti & meatball scene from "Lady & the Tramp"!!

So...here's how the story goes:

Baby Girl, would you PLEASE get a couple photos of your dad & me?
You might need a bowl, too.

What kind? Wait...you're gonna do Lady & the Tramp. Aren't you?
And do I need the bowl in case I vomit?

You guys are disgusting. I might be sick.

Wait. We aren't done? You want more?

This is too much! I'm gonna vomit.

You mean we still aren't done yet??

You all are disgusting. I need a bowl to throw up in...

I can't believe you made me do this. I hate my life right now.

And, look! We are adorable!!

I mean we should have danced like a prince & princess (because we all know that I'M A DISNEY PRINCESS). But we see how Teen Girl reacted to our spaghetti shots. The kids get adorably freaked out when hubby & I get the urge to dance. *sigh* They will appreciate it later in life. I'm sure of it!

Anyhoo...

We finally enjoyed our Dole Whips...which I'm excited they turned out so well! Have a couple of other versions I want to try with it. (my version I made, HERE) My hubby even wanted seconds! Woo Hoo!

We ended the evening by deciding what to do as a family. We have several Disney movies we could have taken in, but we also know, bless her heart, that Teen Girl would say every line word-for-word AND break out, loudly, into song. We love her, but we also want to watch & enjoy the movie. I'm not a game player, but decided to do it, anyway. We do have a game that is a Disney version of Kids vs. Parents (or something like that), but we decided to play our families favorite game. It's Apples to Apples. We love that game (and one I'm willing to play).

We sat around the table, played, and even tried to play cards that might have Disney connections if you tilt your head & squint. Well, except for when the cards of Disneyland and The Little Mermaid. Those were played in the same round, by the way...to Teen Girl...who began to weep because she had to choose between them.

With all of this, it made me wonder what they were doing for the occasion in Marceline, MO. We almost went thru there on the way home from our trip, but decided not to. I kind of wish we did stop by. But another time.

No matter. We celebrated the 60th birthday of Disneyland by spending it at one of the happiest places on earth: with our kiddos.

So...

HAPPY 60th, DISNEYLAND!

Here's to many, many more....

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Kicks Off Dumb & Dumber To Weekend

So anyway...

Last night was it!!!

My hubby & I got to go take in the movie...THE. MOVIE.

It's been 20 years...but we were SO excited to be able to go a day early, even!

That's right! If you remember, I got my hubby a REALLY DUMB BIRTHDAY GIFT. And he was SO excited about it!!

Actually, he was so excited, on Tuesday when we were getting our hair cut, he was talking to our hair stylist, Megi (love her!!), while at his turn in the chair. They were talking about our boys coming in on Thursday...and he wanted to make it very clear they had to be home before 8:00!! She said they would be done WAY before then...but he was so excited, he told her about his birthday gift & that we were, in fact, going to see "Dumb and Dumber To" on preview night!!

That's right, it wasn't that I just got my hubby a date night to see the sequel to the flick from our first date, or that it was on opening weekend...but...on preview night!!

So, when Thursday came around, I needed to get in a run, of course. I hadn't run in a week, it had been very cold, but I needed to get in that run! Since it was "Dumb and Dumber To" opening weekend, and the morning of our date, I felt the need to channel some Harry & Lloyd from "Dumb and Dumber" when they got to Aspen, California:

I had recently scored some pretty spectacular furry leg warmers on Halloween clearance, so I layered up, put on some layers including my ski bunny Fair aisle-style leggings as I topped everything with a red track jacket to mimic Lloyd's ski suit...then the furry leggings were the perfect addition to appear as furry boots!!

Oh yeah...I ran thru my 'hood like this! Would anyone really doubt? I do think I entertained about 3-4 trash trucks rolling thru the 'hood as I gagged on their exhaust. Whatever...it was all perfect for the day!

Oh...and I layered my socks, too. Because...uh...COLD!! So I also had some Fair aisle-patterned socks over my Batman & Robin socks. Duh! A total dynamic duo! Much like Harry & Lloyd...and my hubby & me. DUH!

Now that my spectacularly Aspen, CA-inspired running outfit had it's outing, I needed to focus on the excitement of the coming evening...

It was cold out (remember?), so I decided to go out & find long sleeves for hubby & me to wear under the snazzy tuxedo t-shirts. Only one left that happened in the color I needed...and in my size...and only one left in the color hubby needed that was in his size! It was meant to be!!

Then...off to find the absolute topper to our movie-date-going outfit: the hats!

I had to hope Party City might have something! After finding ONE orange top hat, I was thrilled!! However, in all of their solid color choices...pastels aren't exactly part of the repertoire...so I had to try to improvise...

I found a super cheap white, plastic top hat with a fake velvety-feel to it. So I got it, found some turquoise hairspray (cuz there wasn't any light blue), and then was gonna use light blue Sharpie for the under-plastic side of the brim that would show.

Uh...for the record...that hairspray was STINKY!! Whew!! But that's how it went. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to make an outfit work!

We got dinner, we got ourselves together, grabbed our hats, the sign...and off we went! The 8:00 showing (the first one) of the "Dumb and Dumber To" preview!!

We got to the theater, left our coats in the car, went to will-call to print our tickets as I carried this sign...

The girls behind the counter wanted a closer look at our sing...so I lifted it up for them to read. They gushed at how adorable that was & congratulated us and said they would worry about doing something silly & dorky like that!! LOL!! We took it as a compliment! Then...a couple guys seated close by wanted us to turn around so they could read our sign, too! They congratulated us, too, after saying how awesome this was!

Then we took our tickets to the ticket-taker-girl. She tore our ticket stubs & then wanted to read our sign...then she was SO close!

See that pic of us up there with the sign? Study it for a moment...
...did you catch it?

The ticket taker said, "That's awesome...but...shouldn't he be standing on the other side?"

*SNORT*

I told her it was part of the joke!!
Did you get it?

Well...believe it or not, she was the ONLY person since the sign was unveiled that even pointed out! When I told her it was part of the joke, she kind of laughed, then apologized for being blonde. She was, but I did tell her she's the only one who caught on to that part of the sign!

We then proceeded to the lobby & by the concession stands to see if we wanted anything. And I just stood there holding my sign. Just wanted to make sure everyone know EXACTLY why we were there!

We decided to wait a bit since we got there so early. Also, we could sense people reading our sign.

Next we killed a little time looking at posters of upcoming movies. Then we decided to make our way into the theater.

We weren't the first ones in there, but not many...so we got some amazing seats!!

Slowly, but surely (I know, I know..."Don't call me Shirley!"), people made their way in. Even though I put the sign away, people could turn the corner into the seating area, and then...*BOOM*...we were right there looking all Harry & Lloyd like. Some were entertained...

Now hubby decided he wanted something from the concessions. We were "debating" who should go get the stuff. I only wanted something to drink, but he wasn't sure totally...we finally decided he should go. And then, as if I couldn't save his seat...this happened:

Yep...the hat stayed. He didn't take the crowning glory of his outfit! *sigh* Whatever...

Eventually he got back...with a giant Coke for us to share & some M&M's...

He then proceeded to tell me about his encounter with the girl at the...uh...concession counter.
It was a counter encounter!! Bah-hahahaha...ha...ha...uh...no? OK, sorry...moving on...

Apparently, he got the the counter & the girl took his order. Then she calmly, in a monotone voice, asked him, "so, is it really you're birthday?" He was a bit thrown off & said that it was on Monday. She replied to him, "yeah. i saw the sign. happy belated birthday," then proceeded to just give him his order. He said it was so weird...and not even a birthday discount! Rude...

Then we got settled in...

...waited for the theater to get ridiculously full (some guy's team of sorts decided to come & fill the rest of the theater) and we were about to go on a long-awaited dumb trip! And we couldn't have been more thrilled!!

As I had said, were we expecting an epic cinematic plot? Nope. We were hoping it WOULDN'T be that!

My hubby heard a critic give a horrible review of it. Like, ripping it to shreds. You know what? If you enjoyed the first one, you can expect a lot of the same of the 2nd. If you saw it the first time, you'll see much of it again. Which is NOT bad!! Plus...we felt this one had more heart. Seriously! And...even though not many have seen it yet...I won't share the quotes we've already been using today. But we were entertained!!

Oh...and treat it like a Marvel movie & stay thru the credits. Trust me! Especially if you saw the first one!!

And my hat still stunk...

Now then...off to the next thing to plan. But I can't tell what it is yet...hehehe...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Gives a Really Dumb Gift

So anyway...

Today is a special day. Very special!

Today is the 44th anniversary of my soul mate's entrance to the Earth.

Yes...it's the birthday of the one who was made just for me. My hubby!

Now then, I'm always trying to surprise my hubby with a gift for each of these holidays (i.e., birthday, Christmas, anniversary)...but something usually seems to get screwed up. I can probably count on 1 hand, even with fingers left over, how many times I've actually surprised him. But do still try.

My sons wanted to get their dad a KC Royals postseason t-shirt. I screwed some of that up. I'm pretty slick like that.
(What...me text my son's opinion on a shirt in a group text? What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?)

Never fear...we did find a different shirt, and it was on point with what my hubby was kind of looking for. WHEW!! Glad it ended up working out!!

But I was trying to figure out what I was going to do. It was tricky...but there was an event coming up just a few days after my hubby's birthday that I was dead-set on getting us a part of!

So, I began planning...
First, I needed to see if I could work timing...
Then, I needed to see about getting us dressed appropriately...
Next, I had to purchase tickets to the event...
After that, I had to figure out how to make a crazy-big deal out of it...
Finally, I had to figure out how to package it up for presentation...

And then it came time! I couldn't wait!!

I presented my hubby with this:

Yep! What sweet, sappy, special gift would a loving wife give her hubby on his birthday? Why a 'Dumb and Dumber To' date! If you remember, I was hoping to BE A PART OF THE MOVIE since we spent part of our 1st date seeing 'Dumb and Dumber'. But since we couldn't get to be a PART of the movie...we would still be seeing it on opening weekend. Of course!

Heck...for 2 years in a row, we have taken our pic in a special spot in Breckenridge to COMMEMORATE OUR FIRST DATE!

My hubby & I channeling Harry & Lloyd's tux colors as we stand in the filming spot
for a second year in a row. Also, my socks are channeling Batman & Robin.

And you know what? My hubby was SO excited about the gift of our upcoming date!!

Yeah...we are wearing the shirts AND taking the sign! BOOM!

He'll be channeling Lloyd Christmas (fitting with his dark hair & Lloyd's last name being "Christmas"), and I'll be channeling..uh...everyone who's left bearing the color of Ellen [DeGeneres].

OK...are we expecting it to be a good movie. Not really...it's not going to be a deep & intellectual epic cinematic piece of art...but...it is perfect for our relationship. And that's what makes it all worth it!

Maybe the best dumb gift I could probably give...let's see how the date goes with MY PRINCE CHARMING this weekend!

Oh...and I did surprise him! Uh...I think...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Why AM~Erica Willingly Made Up a Race

So anyway...

As I approach 9-weeks of running, I have certainly had a lot of ups & downs. Progress slid, so I am working my way back up...especially since I have registered for more 5k runs in the upcoming weeks!

If you remember back when I started this running thing, the switch flipped 9-weeks ago, today. (reminder about all of that HERE)

One of my inspirations, Aimee, contacted me earlier this week about doing a race with her. It was The Color Run being held in KC. Problem was the price. It is one of the races I REALLY wanted to do! By the time I started researching it, the morning was completely filled, and the price had already gone up. So...no bueno. And the next session started at 2:00 PM. I'm a morning runner (not a morning person...just to keep that straight), so I was NOT stoked about the afternoon time...especially with it being at the end of May.

Well, my friend (who I've known since the 1st grade) wanted me to run this race with her since it was happening on her birthday! As much as I wanted to spend that race with her...this was a fee I couldn't do. I. Was. Bummed.
But I encouraged her to run it since it's supposed to be a happy race, and she is turning 40! She has made fantastic strides in her journey (slight pun intended), but I just couldn't do that race with her. Instead, I told her I would run with her in spirit.

I ran my own 5k.

Yes-yes-yes...it was a training run. However, I put myself out there to run that 5k distance! And...I did it in my racing gear: tutus. I wore 2 tutus (yeah...say that 5 times fast): one red & one orange. I'll tell you why in a moment.

I decided to have "This Girl is on Fire" as my personal race theme:

1. Aimee is en fuego! Her journey to get healthier & fitter has been amazing! It's why she was part of my inspiration!

2. She decided she WANTED to run a race ON her 40th birthday. She is awesome!

3. It's freaking hot out there! The humidity & temps are ridiculously melt-worthy!


So...I put my race outfit together that included red, orange & yellow to be reminiscent of flames. And then, with it being a race, I needed a race bib. So...I fashioned my own bib & customized it specifically for her birthday. I pinned that sucker on, slathered on some serious sunscreen... and then headed out.

As I promised her, I would run with her in spirit. So, I ran a 5k distance...at 2:00 in the afternoon of the last day of May.

It was brutal! The heat. The humidity. The gawking neighbors...
Oh yeah...I did it thru my own neighborhood! I really surprised some neighbors sitting outside, and I even had a car turn around to follow me to see if they were seeing what they were really seeing! A tutu runner running thru the neighborhood...like in a race or something. CRAZY!

Did you know those tutus contain super powers? I took off, in hopes of actually taking it slow. With the heat & humidity, it was gonna be rough...but I wanted to finish the race in 40 minutes...for my friend's 40th birthday. No big whoop! It could happen...until the tutus kicked in! I was running one of my faster paces! Like I was in a race or something! Between that & the heat/humidity...I wore out pretty quick. I ended up having to walk some of the way. But you know what? I got in that 5k! I went 3.15 miles in 36:06. So...still not bad. Faster than my goal for this one.

I really did have amused neighbors who got a kick out of seeing this crazy chic running in tutus like there's a race going on...and I was the only one! HA! I had a car pull over to cheer me on...plus the creepy car that followed me to see if I was the spectacle they thought it was. I was...

I haven't heard how she did in her race today. I'm stoked to hear! Because she needed that race today. You know: "...the happiest 5k on the planet." She is rocking in her journey! And I was SO happy this race fell on her birthday! I'm hoping it's on her birthday weekend next year so we can plan ahead to actually do it together!

But this year...running on my own, in her honor, will have to suffice.

How about that, all my fellow runners? For a gift to someone...run a race in their honor! Even if it's one of your own accord. And get someone to take pics of you so you can show them that they were your inspiration!

I had Teen Girl take some pics for me. And she did a great job!

Today was all for Aimee! A long time friend who is accomplishing great things!

Happy 40th Birthday, Aimee!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Can't Believe Another Year's Gone By

So anyway...

It's been 9 years since it happened. One of the longest & most frustrating days of my entire life. (last year's 2-part reminder HERE...grab some popcorn & settle in when you read or reread it)

However, at the very end of that long, Long, LONG day...and after a lot of waiting & working really hard...it brought Lil Guy into this world.

This dude is an amazing kiddo.

Though he's been thru a lot, in his own right (the reminder of that journey HERE), he's always been a trooper & has so much going for him!

Much of what I'm gonna say about him, in celebration of his day, may sound like a biased parent...but just note that we are realist parents, and we will tell it like it is...both good & bad of our kids.

Lil Guy is so smart. He has always had a high IQ, but it was always slightly dragged down by his struggle he went thru. Now that he's passed that, we need to test his IQ again. Because he is always at the top of his class...and sometimes even his grade...in his reading & math, for sure. I was helping at one of the parties, and another parent announced that she heard that Lil Guy had the highest reading score in the grade. That surprised me! Not that his reading score was high, but that it was announced by a parent! I think word is getting out...

He's also very liked. He's probably one of the most popular kids. We've always heard that many of the kids want to be at his table &/or want him on their team. He really is a team player. He knows where he will do well & he knows when others will do well. It's amazing to watch kids go out of their way to say hi to him.

He's super athletic. This kid is fast, he's quick, he sees a bigger picture on whatever field he's on. He's tall & agile, too. There's always things he can work on to get better, but he's usually one of the best on whatever team he's on...if not the best one. If he's not the best on his team, he can certainly hold his own with the best. And he's competitive...sometimes a little too competitive, but he's got drive, for sure.

Lil Guy has a lot of talent. He has his moments where he gets to prove his acting & speaking skills. This is a big deal!! He has an ear for music, too. He actually has rhythm, even though he likes to act really goofy when he dances around. And he can pick up on things musically fairly quickly.

This kid is a big goof! We never know how he's gonna enter or exit a room. He might make a weird face &/or add a weird voice &/or a weird walk. His imagination fascinates us often.

This boy is a quick-wit, too. We never know what might come out of his mouth. He always surprises us with his grown-up comebacks to situations...that he usually delivers with a dry humor & straight face. It's always entertaining to hear what his young brain can come up with to shut people down in a hurry...but with an end result of laughter. He's a hoot.

He is a game player. When I say "game player"...I mean of all sorts! From Go Fish, to several board games, so many of the electronic variety, too. And he is strategic & competitive (if I hadn't already mentioned that). He gets frustrated at his mistakes & does his best to learn from them...cuz he's in it to win it!

He can keep track of stats. Whether it's sports or some geeky/nerdical games &/or players, he can keep track of some of that stuff. It's amazing to hear him keep up pretty well in conversations surrounding these things.

Lil Guy is definitely our natural leader. He attempts to "organize" how things are or will look at home...but we need to remind him who's actually in charge here. However, he can be the captain of a team if he wanted to. He can see where others should be in position on whatever project or game or event he's a part of. It's amazing to watch. And...other kids, for sure, will usually listen to him.

He can keep track of schedules & things coming up. And, if he wants to do something in that schedule that he is keeping track of, he will be persistent about asking & talking about it. It's irritating for us...but I'm sure it will be good for him in the long run.

This guy has a big heart. He may not like everyone, but he will stick up for whoever he needs to & will feel bad if someone is left out of something. I think it has to do with the struggle he went thru & the type of kids he dealt with along the way. He usually sees the worth in those who others have issues seeing the worth in. It warms my heart when I witness him doing this or talking about it.

In this last year, we have seen his personality grow even more. The levels of smartness & goofiness has been amazing. He has come out of his shell so much. He is even much more willing to be in open conversation with others. In the past, he would feel out the situation & what he felt about a person before partaking in conversation with them. He's processing the situations much quicker now.

The potential for Lil Guy is near endless. I've referred to him as our Captain America before. I believe he may be a future CEO of some Fortune 500 company. I won't push him that direction...there's still a lot of life for him to live & experiences for him to go thru before he sets sail for a particular direction in his future. In the meantime, we will be proud of all of his ever-accumulating achievements.

And...it's hard for this mama to grasp that the baby is in his last year of single-digit ages. So, next year...prepare for a tearful mommy post.

Until then...we won't rush it & will enjoy every moment of Lil Guy's next trip around the sun.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Having a Tough Time With It

So anyway...

I've posted about about TEEN GIRL'S BIRTHDAY, and I've posted about LIL GUY'S BIRTHDAY, too. I have not yet done a post about Teen Boy's...until now.

I think I'm having a really hard time with his. Seriously. He isn't my oldest (that's Teen Girl), but he is my older boy. And, with him being a hormonal boy...well...boys have changes that are very different from girls. Just FYI in case you didn't know that yet.

However, this post will be different from the other two. Why? Because that would not suit him at all. So, here's what's it will be instead...


If you haven't gotten it by now, today is Teen Boy's birthday. And it's exciting, but I've been having a much harder time with him turning 16. And I think it has to do with the fact that he has matured so much.

When he was born, the doctor just decided that I would be induced the following day after my appointment. However, I truly believe that he would have come along that day anyway. So when I showed up the next day to the hospital, things got moving!

I got hooked up & things seemed to move quickly. And, as with all the laborings I've been thru, I did not have a epidural. However, I'm all for IV meds. And when it is quite painful to bear, you don't think about what might be going into the tubes that flow into your veins. I was ready for the pain meds! And they told me that there was a new drug out that they wanted to try...it's called Nubain & they were still experimenting with dosages. I didn't care in that moment & they gave me some. I was told that I would feel a tingle or get really warm starting at my toes & working it's way up to relax me. Ummm...I waited a moment to see if I'd get the feeling...however, I never felt it in my toes or anywhere else...except...my head! I got really woozy & groggy. I just wanted to go to sleep! And, as I was fading & couldn't reply to anyone, I remember hearing someone yell, "Oh my God! The baby's asleep!" It was a terrifying moment to know that you have no control to step in to change that situation. I think they backed off the Nubain & upped the pitocin to get things moving again.

The doctor challenged me to have this kid born by 12:00 (noon). And, yes, things moved along that quickly that the challenge was there. And after a couple rounds of "routine" pushing, I was ready to keep going! The doctor, my hubby, the nurses, the young doctor in residency (who was having issues figuring where to check...I'll leave it at that) & the nurses in training (yes...there were a lot of people in that tiny room...there was even a medical class that walked thru) all turned away & I had to yell, "I'M! NOT! FINISHED!" They all rushed back to my side so we could finish this out!

My son was born at 12:05. Yes, just missed the target time, but not too far off.

When he was born, there was a lot of concern about him. We were being flagged that he might have something along the lines of spina bifida due to a dimple at the base of his spine. Then we were informed that he should be fine since his legs were moving normally. We were very thankful for that.

Now then, as a few months went by with this precious baby (and a very jealous older sibling), we noticed his eyes weren't following each other like they should be. As it turned out, at his 4 month checkup, it was discovered he had a cataract in one of his eyes. This became most of his identity as he was growing up. It has taken many surgeries & doctor appointments, and even off-and-on eye drops to try to keep that eye healthy. He was just a little guy with big dimples, glasses & a bit of speech impediment who was fascinated with firetrucks & rescue vehicles was very telling of his big heart.

He is an intelligent (almost frighteningly so) guy! He has found a niche in SPEECH & DEBATE. He has crazy knowledge in gaming & many other things that in nerdery & geekery. He is in advanced classes, which he is doing quite well. He is involved in church & continues to have a big heart. And he does a pretty good job keeping up with sports, too. Though he loves all the techy-type stuffs...he is really just a simple guy.

But I've been having more of an issue with my son getting older. Remember when I said that boys change differently than the girls? He's always had a little bit of a fuzzy upper lip, but when the whiskers started coming in on his chinny-chin-chin & the voice started dropping...I have not handled that well. I cried the day he shaved his face for the first time. There are no pictures of it because I couldn't handle it! It still turns my tummy thinking about it.

When his voice dropped, it freaked out Teen Girl. I went to get her out of bed & she was freaking out because she thought we had company. All she heard was the deeper voice...and I had to explain that it was her brother. Yeah...another hard one to deal with.

And now he's taller than I am, too. I didn't handle armpit hair on him well, either.

How can he be 16? Looking at pictures of when he was a tot, to when he was 11 & 12 years old...to now...he has changed so much! It's hard to think that he's the same kiddo with the speech impediment & big glasses. He no longer wears glasses, he had braces & got them off, he's taller & well-spoken...

There is so much promise in his future. Though he's still young-at-heart & still dons some immature actions...he's growing to be quite the young man.

And I'm having such a hard time with it. I really am. Just a proud parent who realizes how quickly time flies & how quickly your kiddos can grow up. Which is too quickly.

Now...off to celebrate with my growing-up-too-quickly teenage son. Who is still my baby boy...whether he likes it or not.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Helps Take on Who?

So anyway...

If you read the previous post, you know about the AMAZING BIRTHDAY EXPERIENCE Teen Girl had. But it didn't stop there. See...my daughter has this habit, as many do, of living in fandoms. Probably her main fandom is the world of Who. Yes, she is a Whovian.

Now then, I am no stranger to the Whovian fandom...my friend Nikki, who I have BROUGHT UP BEFORE, has been one for many years. So, I grew up watching Four, but didn't grasp how long it had been going, or how long it might last. But I would hear Nikki talk of the different Doctors here & there. Plus, in the days before caller ID, if there was an obscene or telemarketing call, she would just "tell" them (read: yell at them), "I'M A WHOVIAN!" Yeah...entertaining.

Now with my daughter into it, plus my sons sort of, and with other friends of mine who are Whovians...PLUS all the nerd/geek boards on Pinterest...I pretty much quasi-stay up with it by association. So I know what some references are. Enough that I can understand some of the Who-speak without totally pulling my smile-&-nod technique.

With this being the case, it started on Christmas 2012 (beyond just the episodes we'd try to help her find) when she received this from Santa:

Yep...that's right. There was a TARDIS in the living room. A cardboard cutout stand up...but a 6', super amazingly-awesome TARDIS! Oh...and a sonic screwdriver set, too.

Well, her love for Who hasn't let up at all. And with it being her birthday, taking her to the cottage garden got her super excited when she saw the little greenhouse. Why? Well it has a familiar look to a Whovian, and she had to get her pic with it, of course:

Imagine how freaked out she was when she saw the greenhouse was "TARDIS blue"! With the windows, it had a TARDIS-like feel...so we got her picture in it.

And it didn't stop there! We found an amazing gift for her! One that was so perfect, we had to make sure she had it! We got it at, what some might dread, Hot Topic. We actually went to see if they had any t-shirts for any of her fandoms, and we found a lot of different things! One employee ended up helping us. And I mean she HELPED us!! This chic was a gothic-pinup-tattooed character with a friendly & bubbly personality & disposition. Hubby & I decided she was a shorter version of Abby Sciuto (you know...NCIS lab chic). She showed us a lot of really cool things. We sauntered around the store, found a few possibilities, but nothing we were really excited about. Somehow we missed the entire Doctor Who corner at the FRONT of the store... *face palm* So we were trying to get excited about something there...but...ugh. We told our Abby-like chic that we were shopping for Teen Girl's 17th bday...and her eyes lit up. She asked what size Teen Girl wears & says she might have something in the back. But it's so special...it hasn't been put out in the store yet...but didn't want to tell us what it was in case they didn't have her size. She bebopped to the back room...and we waited...

After a couple of minutes she came out with the most amazing thing! THE. MOST. AMAZING. THING.
However, she didn't have the right size & we decided to order it. We got it picked up in time for the family gathering. And this is what she wore:

Is that amazing? Yes...it is a TARDIS & British flag dress. And it's totes a-dorbes on her!

Then, along with that, she was dying to have a TARDIS cake. Well...no pressure there, eh? *sigh* After thinking thru trying to a 3D TARDIS, This is what I came up with:

Teen Girl felt the urge to light the candles on her own TARDIS cake

So...only being a partial Whovian, I did the best I could to try to appease a hardcore Whovian. It was a nail-biter! But Teen Girl seemed amused. I'll take it, cuz it is what it is. But I got some encouragement & pats on the head from posting these pics. But then...this happened...

If you click right HERE, you will see where this pic ended up & the message attached to it! It's kind of a big deal, yo. You need to read the comments, too! So awesome!!! (Just FYI: I was asked if it could be used by the page...that made me feel even better about my cake effort!)

So...I think the TARDIS has served her well. I just hope an actual blue box doesn't show up...she would jump on the chance to be a companion, for sure. I think she'd be an awesome companion...but I would miss her! Well...at that point in time. I'd see her other times, too...I'm sure.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica